64th (2nd Highland) Division

The history of 64th (2nd Highland) Division

On 31 August 1914 the War Office issued instructions for all units of the Territorial Force to form a reserve unit. The men who had agreed to serve overseas were separated from the rest. Those left as ‘home service only’ were formed into ‘second line’ units, which would be this reserve. They were joined by many new recruits from September 1914 onward.

The units of the ‘second line’, the 2nd Highland Division, remained at home. Along with other ‘second line’ Divisions suffered it greatly from lack of equipment of all sorts, and training was inevitably affected.

Divisional HQ was set up at Perth in January 1915; the infantry Brigades at Blair Atholl, Scone and Falkirk. The artillery was at Edzell, Forfar, Brechin and Rothesay with the heavy battery at Dunfermline; the RE, RAMC and ASC at Blair Atholl, Perth and Scone. Later that year a move was made to winter quarters. Divisional HQ remained at Perth; 192st Brigade went to Pitlochry, Crieff, Aberfeldy and Auchterarder; 192nd Brigade to Blairgowrie and Forfar; 193rd to Montrose and Arbroath. The artillery was now at Blairgowrie, Forfar, Brechin and Rothesay; the RE at Perth, Alyth, Dundee and Coupar, RAMC at Comrie, Alyth and Forfar and ASC at Kirriemuir, Montrose, Blairgowrie and Crieff.

On 26 July 1915 orders were received that 600 was the minimum strength for any ‘second line’ infantry battalion and any men in excess of that number could be taken for overseas service.

Between November 1915 and April 1916 the infantry battalions titles were changed. For example the 2/4th Seaforth Highlanders in 191st Brigade became No 1 Battalion.

In March 1916, the Division moved to England, with HQ being set up in Norwich. The brigades went to Kelling, Taverham and North Walsham; the artillery to Blickling and Worstead; RE at Norwich, Taverham, North Walsham and Kelling.

During 1917 a major restructuring of the Division took place, with the ‘second line’ units being withdrawn and replaced by Graduated Battalions. Further moves around East Anglia were made throughout the year and 1918.

Orders were received to demobilise in early 1919 and by 15 April the Division had ceased to exist.

The order of battle of the 64th (2nd Highland) Division

191st (2nd Seaforth & Cameron Highlanders) Brigade

2/4th Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders

left by February 1918, disbanded June 1918

2/5th Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders

absorbed into 2/6th Bn in October 1915

2/6th Bn, the Seaforth Highlanders

left by February 1918, disbanded June 1918

2/4th Bn, the Cameron Highlanders

left by February 1918, disbanded June 1918

2/4th Bn, the Black Watch

joined by November 1915, disbanded December 1917

201st Graduated Battalion

joined 16 July 1917, became 51st Bn of the Highland Light Infantry on 27 October 1917

202nd Graduated Battalion

joined 16 July 1917, became 51st Bn of the Gordon Highlanders on 27 October 1917

51st (Graduated) Battalion, the Royal Sussex Regiment

joined 25 February 1918

52nd (Graduated) Battalion, the Royal Sussex Regiment

joined 25 February 1918

192nd (2nd Gordon Highlanders) Brigade

2/4th Bn, the Gordon Highlanders

absorbed into 2/5th Bn in November 1915

2/5th Bn, the Gordon Highlanders

disbanded on 31 July 1918

2/6th Bn, the Gordon Highlanders

absorbed into 2/7th Bn in November 1915

2/7th Bn, the Gordon Highlanders

disbanded on 30 September 1918

2/6th Bn, the Black Watch

disbanded in September 1917

2/7th Bn, the Black Watch

disbanded in April 1918

205th Graduated Battalion

joined 16 July 1917, became 52nd Bn of the Highland Light Infantry on 27 October 1917

206th Graduated Battalion

joined 16 July 1917, became 51st Bn of the Devonshire Regiment on 27 October 1917

52nd (Graduated) Battalion, the Queen’s

joined 25 February 1918

52nd (Graduated) Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment

joined from 193rd Bde 26 February 1918

193rd (2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) Brigade

2/6th Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

disbanded 13 March 1918

2/7th Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

disbanded Autumn 1917

2/8th Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

disbanded 19 July 1918

2/9th Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

disbanded October 1917

209th Graduated Battalion

joined 16 July 1917, became 51st Bn of the Middlesex Regiment on 27 October 1917

210th Graduated Battalion

joined 16 July 1917, became 52nd Bn of the Devonshire Regiment on 27 October 1917, left for 192nd Bde 26 February 1918

52nd (Graduated) Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment

joined 25 February 1918

51st (Graduated) Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment

joined 25 February 1918

52nd (Graduated) Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment

joined 25 February 1918

Divisional Mounted Troops

2nd Highland Divisional Cyclist Company

C Sqn, 2/1st Glasgow Yeomanry

brief ely between April 1916 and June 1917

Divisional Artillery

CCCXX (2/I Highland) Brigade, RFA

CCCXXI (2/II Highland) Brigade, RFA

CCCXXII (2/III Highland) (How) Brigade, RFA

broken up May 1916

(new) CCCXXII Brigade, RFA

joined by 3 November 1916, broken up by 29 January 1917

Bute Mountain Battery, RFA

attached April – September 1916

1129 Battery, RFA

attached May 1917

2/1st Highland (Fifeshire) Heavy Battery, RGA

left September 1916

Royal Engineers

2/1st Highland Field Company

later numbered 403 Company

3/2nd Highland Field Company

later numbered 405 Company

1/3rd Highland Field Company

later numbered 402 Company

2nd Highland Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

2/2nd Highland Field Ambulance

later numbered 311 Field Ambulance

2/3rd Highland Field Ambulance

later numbered 312 Field Ambulance

3/1st Highland Field Ambulance

later numbered 310 Field Ambulance

2/1st Highland Sanitary Section

left late 1917

Other Divisional Troops

64th Divisional Train ASC

formed November 1914, the units were eventually titled 533, 534, 535 and 536 Companies ASC

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